Monday of the
Third Week of Lent
(II Kings 5:1-15ab; Luke 4:24-30)
As the man grew older, his skin began to itch. So he asked his doctor what he might do. He thought the doctor would surely prescribe
a medicated powder. But the doctor only
asked if he took hot showers. The man
replied that he did and might have added that he enjoyed the sensation of hot
water on the skin. The doctor then
recommended that he use lukewarm instead.
Such a simple solution is not likely to work, the man thought to
himself. But he believed enough in his
doctor to try the remedy. Very soon the
man’s skin no longer itched. In the
readings today wise men give similarly simple advice to people and face even
greater skepticism.
In a kind of long-distance consultation, the prophet
Elisha tells General Naaman of Syria that seven dips in the River Jordan will
cure him of his leprosy. The general is
insulted. Not only does Elisha refuse to
see him face-to-face, but his prescription defies common sense. How could the mere bathing in a river cure
the pernicious leprosy? In the gospel
Jesus meets with similar incredulity. He
tells the people of Nazareth not to be amazed that one of their own has been
chosen by God as His prophet. The townsmen
and women react violently to the idea.
God is always ready to heal us of our sins. He has sent Jesus with his prescription. We are to believe in what Jesus teaches – primarily,
to love God above all and to serve him by caring for the needy. It is hardly more difficult than showering
with lukewarm water or bathing in the river.
But it does involve denying some selfish desires.
